1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a batwing for a shuttle car wherein a top plate and a lower plate are spaced apart by at least one shieve wheel and are insulated to prevent cable arcing and abrasive damage as a cable passes between the top and lower plates.
2. Description of Background Art
Electrically powered vehicles require a cable to connect the vehicle to a power source. Historically, a batwing has been provided to guide the cable as it is released from or rewound onto a cable reel affixed to the electrically powered car.
An electrical cable utilized to supply power to an electric vehicle includes an insulating layer of material disposed around the electrically conductive wires. From time to time, the insulation disposed around the electrical wires is nicked to damage the insulation and expose small portions of the electrical wiring. The small nicks in the insulation cause an arcing between the electric cable and in the metallic batwing as the cable is discharged from or recoiled onto the cable reel. In addition, pitting of the surface of the metallic batwing occurs where the electric arcing takes place. Thus, additional insulation disposed along the length of the cable has a tendency to further deteriorate as the cable is pulled across the sharp jagged edges of the metallic batwing which has been pitted.
In addition, electrically powered vehicles utilized within a mine occasionally encounter plastic curtains which are utilized within the mine for directing air. Conventional metallic batwings have a tendency to permit the plastic curtains to enter into the space between the top plate and lower plate, thus causing a jamming and damage to the plastic curtains as they encounter the cable passing along the shieves disposed within the batwing.